Many years ago, I acquired a chest with ten parts trays from an old service garage. There are odd brass fittings, screws and nuts, generator brushes,even Model T coil points. I have found things in there that have saved me many trips to town over the years.   ... View more

I bought an accessory Goddess of Speed hood ornament for our '40 Packard. It fell out of my hands while placing on a shelf for future installation and the glass wing shattered. A repro wing was purchased ,but it's not original ! ... View more

I live in a rural area of southern Ontario and commuted 15 miles each way .My favorite winter beater was a Buick LeSabre, preferably a '95 or newer.These had a better rocker panel design that didn't rust as bad. A combination of an indestructable and fuel efficient 3.8 V6,ABS, traction control,front wheel drive, and enough weight to keep it stable made for a very comfortable and reliable winter ride.   ... View more

The city of London, Ontario had a fleet of 700 and 900 series LaFrance trucks .Most were housed in single bay fire stations. I well remember as a kid admiring them sitting out in front of the station. Thanks for triggering the recollections. ... View more

Always loved the pre-1968 Beetle convertibles (with the old style bumpers), and I'd still be happy with a regular sized one. He can keep the oversized one. I would much rather have the beautiful gold '30-'31 Cadillac Phaeton in the background. ... View more

I have an interesting variety of cars in my stable,from 1921 to 2013. My 2 oldest 1920's cars  (a '21 Chevy and a '25 Buick coupe) are mostly relegated to trailer queen status now,even though I live in a rural area. Their cruising speed (28 and 35 MPH respectively) is just too slow even for secondary paved roads. My big '29 McLaughlin Buick can cruise nicely at 50 MPH, but driving a 4400 lb. car  with power assist nothing and mechanical brakes in traffic is no treat. The '40 Packard can also cruise all day at 50-55 MPH and has the advantage of excellent hydraulic brakes.  Why,do you ask, do I bother to keep such ancient beasts if I can't enjoy them ? The fact of the matter is I do enjoy them. Even if it's only a couple of miles in the evening when the traffic is lighter,or giving the uninitiated a garage tour, or just walking around them and giving them a dusting, it's a joy to me to see the historic progression of automotive technology through the years. I have a couple of 1970's trucks (a '72 C20 Chevy pickup and a '78 GMC Caballero) that I do drive regularly, and they both get a lot of admiring looks. They weren't purchased as collectables, it's just that I've owned them for so long they've reached that plateau ! It seems the next generation doesn't share my enthusiasm. Neither of my kids even have a garage at their residence. My son (and future executor) wants me to start downsizing. He doesn't seem to appreciate it when I tell him that will be his job after my demise. I should sell off a few of them...... someday.   ... View more

Or perhaps a "flotilla" ? ... View more

It's hard to beat the style of an XK150 both outside of and under the hood. However,I used to work at a British car dealership and even the British-born mechanics used to pull their hair out trying to keep the darn things tuned properly. ... View more

The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Forum has a section for just that and a body of expert members that have rarely been stumped.  ... View more

I bought my '25 Buick coupe through an estate sale. It had been restored in the '70's, then squirreled away in a basement garage.The last gas was added in 1992 to make a brief appearance at a wedding. The spark plugs and wires had been removed when I bought it. A complete cleaning of the fuel system was the first order of business. Getting an old vacuum tank (precursor of the fuel pump) to work is a tricky piece of business. After changing all fluids and installing plugs and wires,we were ready to start it. Nope. Not even a cough. The engine looks much like a stovebolt Chevy and I assumed the firing order would be the same too,153624. Nope.After everything else fails,read the manual. Turns out it's 142635. After a quick rearranging of the plug wires,it fired right up. Time for a test drive. Put it in low gear,Let out the clutch.Stall. Repeat.Same result. Read manual. The '25 Buick has a reverse pattern shift . Third gear is where first should be. It drives ! Remember to double clutch.Remember to advance the spark. Remember that you have mechanical brakes. The joy of resurrecting a 97 year old piece of history ? Priceless !   ... View more

I dropped my camera on the concrete floor at a car show at the Hadfield estate.The little door that holds the battery would no longer stay closed. Chris Hadfield (the astronaut) offered to fix it for me. He proceeded to duct tape it together. He remarked that he'd never go into space without it ! ... View more

When I was still a teen in high school I got to know a local classic car collector who took me under his wing.He sold me a '39 LaSalle sedan,which was the beginning of a long relationship with the old car hobby. Last year,while my wife ran in for a few groceries.I was sitting in the parking lot with our '40 Packard Coupe. A young father with two kids ,a girl about 10 and a boy about 8.pulled into the space ahead of me. I could almost lip read what the boy was saying, as he pointed at the Packard.His dad must have said "ask the man who owns one" because the young fellow shyly approached me and asked me what year it was. I told him it was even older than his dad. "Wow",he said. I let him get behind the wheel and told him all about the car. His dad thanked me for taking the time to talk to him.Believe me,it was a pleasure.Maybe I planted a seed. ... View more

I really enjoyed your military vehicle video. It was nice of you to give lip service to Ford and GM Canada. After the evacuation at Dunkirk,the British were in dire straits.Canada produced over 850,000 military vehicles during WW2, which was no small feat This kept the Commonwealth countries in the fight until and after the US entered the war.   ... View more

You need to have the RIGHT tow vehicle and the RIGHT auto hauler. Before I had my own equipment, the village that used to own my fire engine sent a guy to pick it up for a show in it's home town. He was driving a "Li'l Red Express" short wheelbase Dodge pickup with a 14 ft. trailer. The fire engine was 18 ft.long. We loaded it anyway,and once on the freeway the trailer whipped all over the road. A big rig blocked traffic behind us while our driver tried to sort things out. The saving factor was the 383 V8 in the Dodge. A sudden shot of power straightened out the trailer. We crawled to the next exit and went home. ... View more

I owned several Renaults (I'm a slow learner). My favorite was a 1971 16TS. It was as quirky as they came, with a 4 cylinder hemi, 4 on the tree,and different wheelbases left and right. It had headlights that could be adjusted up or down with a big knob under the dash, in case you were carrying an engine block in the generous cargo area. The biggest issue was rust.It had no inner fenders and after only two years, it rusted out right where the main wiring junction box was located, causing endless shorts. It was a great highway cruiser,with comfortable naugahyde seats and good performance. Just don't get it wet ! ... View more